Idiot question

Blythmag

When setting my goals I say I will do 3/50min brisk walks per week ...can I ask only when I do more than that do I add that exercise into my calorie for that day ?

Hope that makes sense

janejellyroll

The amount of exercise you tell MFP you will do when setting your goal has no impact on your calorie goal. To use MFP as designed, you should log all your intentional exercise (while making sure that your activity level is set to your lifestyle without any intentional exercise).

lgfrie

Indeed, MFP's setup is confusing in that respect. You could tell it you run three marathons per day and it'll make no difference in its recommended calories. And there are other data points on that page that are completely irrelevant to its calculation, such as your starting weight and goal weight.

In fact all that matters is your age, gender, current weight, height, activity level (which is not based on your intentions for exercise, but just your average activeness excluding workouts), and your goal (# of pounds per week you want to lose). The formula then crunches those numbers and spits out a calorie target. How much you work out (and presumably eat back), what your starting weight was, and your eventual goal weight, are irrelevant to its calculation.

AnnPT77

To add a bit, while agreeing with the above:

* MFP uses the exercise goals in the profile set-up for some motivational type stuff, even though it doesn't affect calorie goal.
* The calorie goal it (or any other calculator or fitness tracker) gives you is an estimate. Best plan: Follow it for 4-6 weeks, evaluate personal results, adjust if needed based on actual real life experience. (Premenopausal women should compare the same relative point in two different menstrual cycles).

Blythmag

lgfrie wrote: »

Indeed, MFP's setup is confusing in that respect. You could tell it you run three marathons per day and it'll make no difference in its recommended calories. And there are other data points on that page that are completely irrelevant to its calculation, such as your starting weight and goal weight.

In fact all that matters is your age, gender, current weight, height, activity level (which is not based on your intentions for exercise, but just your average activeness excluding workouts), and your goal (# of pounds per week you want to lose). The formula then crunches those numbers and spits out a calorie target. How much you work out (and presumably eat back), what your starting weight was, and your eventual goal weight, are irrelevant to its calculation.

Blythmag

Ahhh.i get it now, yes it is a wee bit confusing .good.